Discussion

Restaurants Locals Love?

My boyfriend and I are taken our first trip to Mardi Gras 2014 together and I've never been to the big easy. I want to make the best out of this trip and soak up some good ol cajun soul food and culture. I have no interest for touristy places. Anyone have some good local suggestions on where to go for Great Crawdads and Gumbo/Jambalaya? Also I have a need to hear some good jazz and sounds of New orleans! Any ideas??

unless you have specific reason, run away from Metairie. IMO mosca's is OK but nothing great -- would not sacrifice a fist visit's meal there. lastly, please note that New Orleans is not known for Cajun or soul food, tho you can find a couple options.

Pere Antoine's, Maspero’s, ACME, Gumbo Shop, Mother’s, Court of Two Sisters, Oceana, anyplace on Bourbon Street other than Galatoire’s, and any place with someone holding a menu by the front door are places that locals don’t eat. Pretty much any other place will have great food.

<<Also realize coming at Mardi Gras puts you in to prime tourist season so make advance reservations at the restaurants of your choice>>

I could not agree more, and now is probably a good time to start.

Also, and I feel that it must be noted, during Mardi Gras, rather significant parts of the City get shut down. Travel through those parts can be daunting, and even to a local.

I would print out a schedule for parades during the times that you plan to be in NOLA. Consult those carefully, against a street map of New Orleans. Try NOT to travel across any parade route. Try NOT to book any restaurant in one of the parade route neighborhoods.

Mardi Gras is great fun. New Orleans is a great city. The restaurants of NOLA can stand against most around the world. However, Mardi Gras changes many regions of the City.

When folk ask for my recs. on how best to "see" the City, during Mardi Gras, my rec. is to go at another time. It gets close, when the question is "how best to dine in NOLA, during Mardi Gras?" With planning, one can do it, but it does take planning, and both a good map (I would choose one copy for each day during Carnival, and the Dept. of Tourism should have copies for you), and a parade schedule.

Last year, I was about to get trapped in my Waikiki hotel, by the Honolulu Marathon. We left a day early for the Mainland. Translate that to about two weeks of Mardi Gras, and you can see the potential for a problem.

Plan, and reserve. Do not plan on any parade to pass a certain area by a certain time. Do not plan on the mobs of people clearing the streets by a certain time.

Plan dining, separate from the celebration of Mardi Gras. The two CAN co-exist, but only with planning on your part.